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Danny’s Adoption Story

Meet Daniel Xiowi-Stein (Danny)

In the summer of 2014, when Danny was 10 years old, he first visited New Jersey as a Host. He stayed with Sandy and Robert for one month. Danny shared he went to museums and loved going swimming at the pool and the beach. When Danny returned to China, he went back to live in a home that was full of boys and girls from infant to 17 years old. Danny explained that since he was 10, he was considered an “older child.” The older children were responsible for taking care of the babies. He remembers feeding and changing the babies’ diapers.

Danny shared his happiest memory in China was on his 11 birthday, he received a letter from Sandy and Robert stating they wanted him to be a part of their family forever. A year later he arrived in New Jersey to live with his forever family. Danny now has a mother and father, an older sister and a dog. He shared it was hard at first to change roles from being a caregiver to “now being able to be a kid.”

Danny shared that he found American food “weird looking, and only ate noodles for months.” He shared he now loves pizza and fries. Danny explained he found America quite different from China. He was very surprised to see trains traveling near houses. He explained in China, the trains ran underground. He was also surprised that besides himself, his sister was the only other child in the home. He expected there to be many more children. He was surprised to learn children do not have to work. He explained, at age 10, he worked weekends by making clips for chip bags. He made $5.00 per month.

The biggest difference between America and China was school. He explained in China the children attend school from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm and teachers were allowed to hit students. Danny described the teachers would hit students with a very large and long stick. Sandy shared it took Danny a long time to trust that teachers in America do not hit students.

Through a function at Golden Cradle Sandy met another mother that had adopted from China. Through chatting they quickly learned that both of their sons had lived in the same home in China. Danny shared that he is so happy to have been reunited with Jonathan through the Golden Cradle family and feels like it is a miracle that he could come all the way from China and live so close to a “brother”.

Danny’s advice for other children finding their forever home in America:

Do not be scared, it is amazing to be a part of a family, especially having a mom and dad that love you.
Do not be surprised to see trains above ground
Don’t wait as long as I did to eat pizza.